About Jerico
About Us
Jerico is a community of creative entrepreneurs, makers, and artists founded by Krystal and Jeb Gast in 2014. Located in three historic buildings at the industrial edge of the Edison neighborhood in Kalamazoo, MI, the community is home to 23 shared and individual studio spaces currently occupied by a broad range of creative operations, including fine artist studios, an industrial design agency, video and music production studios, a rentable photography studio, coffee shop, yoga studio, tattoo shop and more.
Jeb and Krystal manage the day-to-day operations along with Margot, the Events and Marketing Manager, to provide physical space and other opportunities to creatives and artists in Southwest Michigan. Our workshops, faire’s, art gallery, and private resident studios provide unique opportunities to the greater Kalamazoo community for artistic and creative experiences. Come see it for yourself!
Building History
For over 100 years, makers' past filled these walls with a legacy of innovations. We take pride in continuing that tradition.
In 1898, Charles B. Ford and the Ford Buggy Company constructed the first building to produce, among other things, bodies for some of the earliest automobiles. In 1913, Star Brass Works constructed a second building to cast its world-renowned brass wheels and harps for electric street trolleys. Before the construction of Star Brass Works’ third building in 1941, Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Manufacturing Co. Ltd. began using Star Brass Works to create tone rings for pre-war Gibson banjos. These instruments are highly collectible, and to this day there is speculation by banjo aficionados about the “secret recipe” used in the brass.
After Star Brass Works went bankrupt in the 1950s, the buildings were used for a number of purposes, including United Van Lines, Ransler Moving & Storage, and Records Retention before we purchased them in 2014. We honor the historical relevance and recognize the impact each unique industry has had on the growth and progress of Kalamazoo. We look forward to providing, creating, and fostering useful and beneficial spaces on this historic corner of Kalamazoo.